ATHENS, October 18 (RIA Novosti) - Following the New Democracy party's defeat in Greek parliamentary elections earlier this month, the party leader and former prime minister, Costas Karamanlis, will step down on December 6.
Karamanlis, 53, has announced his resignation shortly after the October 4 polls, during which the New Democracy lost its parliamentary majority. It received only 91 seats in the 300-seat parliament, while main election rival, PASOK (Panhellenic Socialist Movement), led by former foreign minister George Papandreou, won a majority of 160 seats.
Karamanlis is expected to step down shortly after the vote to elect a new leader, scheduled for December 6, New Democracy said in a statement on Saturday.
The new leader will be chosen among four party members — former foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis, former culture minister Antonis Samaras, former health minister Dimitris Avramopoulos and Thessaloniki governor Panayiotis Psomiadis.
A runoff is tentatively scheduled for December 13 if there is no clear winner.
The party would convene for an emergency party congress on November 7. During the meeting, the participants will amend the party's constitution so that all party members could take part in a vote to elect a new leader.
